Father, daughter found shot to death in their home

Robbery appears to be the reason why someone shot and killed a father and his 15-year-old daughter in their Texas City home early Monday morning. The girl's younger brother survived the violence.

Family friends say the 11-year-old boy was hiding inside the house during the robbery. And while his life was spared, his father's and sister's lives were not.

"He said, I can tell you it's bad," a neighbor said.

It's a crime friends and neighbors describe as sickening.

"I'm in shock, really," said neighbor Regina Garza.

It's a crime that has Garza wondering why.

"I really know them," she said. "I know all the family."

Texas City police say just before 2am Monday two armed men forced their way into the house in the 700 block of Amburn Road, demanded money and then shot at least two people. Jorge Vargas, 33, and his 15-year-old daughter died at their home.

"I'm just feeling so much pain," Garza told Eyewitness News. "I just saw her two weeks ago in my office."

Garza says the teenage girl had just transferred from a Texas City school to a school in Dickinson. She watched in horror as firefighters entered the house with chainsaws, without explaining why. As police investigate, without addressing any questions from the media, neighbors are left wondering what this family had that the suspects wanted.

"People violate people every day, so you never know what's going to happen," said neighbor Bridgette Benefield.

Police are questioning the 11-year-old boy about what he may have seen. He has been turned over to the custody of Child Protective Services.

The two suspects are still at large. Police are releasing only vague information, saying the shooters are believed to be a short Hispanic male and tall black male who were wearing ski type masks. They fled the scene in an unknown direction. At this time, the motive appears to be robbery.

Anyone with any information regarding this case is asked to call Detective Paul Edinburgh at 409-643-5838 or call Mainland Crime Stopper's hotline at 409-945-8477.